A BBC strike caused major disruption to radio and television channels despite
just a few people showing active support for the industrial action.

Flagship programmes like Radio 4 Today and BBC Breakfast were cancelled or severely effected by the walkout but just a few handfuls of strikers turned up to protest at the corporation’s offices around the country.

At New Broadcasting House in central London around 10 people were pictured on the “picket lines”.

One onlooker said that a nearby protest on Palestine had more support.

While Lauren Laverne, the BBC6 music presenter, and the Newsnight economics editor Paul Mason, took to twitter to say they had supported the strike, other stars remained silent.

Pictures on the NUJ's own website show just a handful of picketers around the country at various BBC broadcasting studios including Nottingham, Jersey and Leeds.

Despite the apparent low turn out Michelle Stanistreet, NUJ general secretary, said there had been rock solid support for the strike from the 4,000 members of the union.

She said that many of the picket lines looked smaller because they were on a rota and that at least 100 people had attended Broadcasting House throughout the day.

“There has been really significant numbers,” she said.

“It is absolute nonsense to say there has been little support.”

But she admitted that many of the 8,000-strong staff in journalism would have stayed at home to avoid the expense of travelling to work.

Angie Bray, Conservative MP for Ealing, and member of Parliament's Culture, Media and Sport Select committee, said that the low active turnout demonstrated the weak support.

“Even though it has been disruptive to programming there doesn’t seem to be an actual support when you look at the picket lines,” she said.

“It is hardly Wapping all over again. It is a damp squib when you consider how many people turned up to show their support.

“I suspect because it’s a nice day, it’s school holidays and it’s a Monday many people have taken the opportunity to extend their weekend.

“This is not like the strikes of old. They have even said that they only want to highlight the issue, not reverse it."

New Broadcasting House in central London (AFP)

According to the union the "overwhelming majority" of the BBC's 4,000-plus NUJ members are taking part in the action, which has seen radio and television schedules disrupted today.

According to the NUJ picket lines have been set up in London, Birmingham, Cardiff, Glasgow and Belfast among other places.

BBC staff in other countries have also joined in the strike and a picket line has been set up in Turkey.

TV news was also hit by the 24-hour walkout by members of the National Union of Journalists in protest at compulsory redundancies.

Michelle Stanistreet, NUJ general secretary, led journalists out of the building at the BBC's central London studios at midnight at the start of the walkout.

Picket lines were mounted outside BBC studios and offices across the UK and the union said the strike was being well supported.

The Today programme was not broadcast at its usual time of 6am and instead repeats of other factual programmes were played alongside news bulletins.

Ms Stanistreet said: "NUJ members across the BBC are taking action to defend jobs and quality journalism at the corporation.

"They are angry and frustrated at the poor decisions being taken at the top of the BBC – decisions that are leading to journalists being forced out of their jobs and quality journalism and programming compromised.

"Instead of making sure that the redeployment process works properly in all areas of the BBC, managers are prepared to waste public money on needless redundancies and sacrifice the livelihoods of experienced and talented journalists, at the same time as advertising other jobs externally.

"It's particularly disappointing that the BBC has failed to engage meaningfully in attempts to resolve this dispute – an abdication of responsibility for a public service broadcaster."

The NUJ said its members across the BBC – in Scotland, in BBC South, the Asian Network, Newsbeat, Five Live, the World Service and English Regions – were at risk of compulsory redundancy.

A BBC spokesman said: "We understand how frustrating and difficult situations involving redundancies can be, but it is disappointing the NUJ have chosen to take this action.

"We are working hard to ensure that we succeed in getting staff redeployed wherever we can and will continue to work with the unions to ensure that their members receive the right redeployment support."